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SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday at sunset marks a special time for the Muslim community as it is the beginning of the month-long observance of Ramadan.
During the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar months, all healthy adult Muslims who are not travelling, pregnant or nursing are required to abstain from food, drink and conjugal relations with their spouse from dawn to sunset each day, according to Shuaib Din, Imam at the Utah Islamic Center.
Din said the purpose of Ramadan is to obtain a greater awareness and consciousness of God, or Allah, as Muslims refer to Him.
“What happens is sometimes we get so tied up with all our mundane activities from morning to night that we forget or tend to forget what is more important in life, which is pleasing our Lord and preparing for the life hereafter,” Din said.
In addition to fasting, Muslims say five daily prayers, which are typically followed by special hour-and-a-half to two-hour evening prayers in which portions of the Quran are recited at the mosque. By the end of the month, Muslims have read the entire book.
There are nearly 25,000 Muslims residing in the area from Ogden to Provo. Din compared Muslims observing Ramadan to Christians attending a Christmas Eve service, noting there is higher attendance at the mosque during the observance, including the Friday services, which is their holy day, and the five daily prayer sessions.
Muslims are encouraged to break their fast with a date fruit. They then take part in the fourth prayer of the day, which lasts about five minutes, before they eat dinner.
Din said in some cultures, Muslims spend about 15 minutes breaking their fast with a variety of finger foods and appetizers before saying their fourth daily prayer and that there isn’t much room for dinner after that.
Din said the more people enjoy the physical aspects of the world, the less spiritually inclined they are.
“That’s why it’s best to have ... a full one month … to draw back from all the physical enjoyments.”
Saba Hoda
Individuals benefit from Ramadan in their own way, Din said, depending on their attitude and how they observe the month.
Nadeem Ahmed, a member of the Board of Trustees at the Utah Islamic Center, said participating in Ramadan helps him know what it would be like to go hungry, like other people in the world.
Ahmed added that if you feel hunger, you feel closer to God, and that participants are more humble during this month.
“The Muslims are very happy for this month,” Ahmed said. “They don’t feel like deprived or ‘we have to do this.’”
At sunset on Saturday, local Muslims will gather for iftar, or breaking of the fast, at the Classic Fun Center in Sandy. In addition to eating together, they will be fundraising to build a new mosque planned for the area of 9000 South and 900 West.
Ahmed said when Muslims break the fast together, they believe they are more blessed.
